Happy Hour Roundup
* The Capitol Police have decided not to prosecute the person who made a death threat to Dem Rep. Brad Miller’s office earlier this month, Miller spokesperson LuAnn Canipe tells us.
“We were notified that there’s not going to be a criminal prosecution,” Canipe tells our reporter, Beth Marlowe, confirming that no reason was given.
* No action from President Obama on DOMA at all yet? Check out this nugget buried in today’s Washington Post:
The Obama administration, managing a busy and complicated legislative agenda, has not begun working with Congress to repeal the act, congressional and White House sources said.
While gay rights advocates are giving Obama props for his latest move, that seems noteworthy and could draw another round of criticism.
* Joe Sudbay tees off.
* Bipartisan follies, part 3,429: Senator Jon Kyl, the number two Republican in the Senate, confirms that Republicans are all but certain to oppose the Senate health care bill no matter what happens.
* Dem Rep. Jim Clyburn says in an interview with HuffPo that anyone who thinks we’re getting health care reform done in “one fell swoop” is “whistling Dixie.”
* Many have noted that Rasmussen tends to skew polls for conservative media pickup, and here’s a good one. Rasmussen’s headline: “39% Blame Obama Policies for Bad Economy.” Which is true, but the poll’s internals say that 55% blame Bush.
* The primary threat to Arlen Specter continues to produce results for the left.
* The AFL-CIO talks tough with Dems on the public option.
* Some sobering MSNBC poll numbers for backers of the public insurance option, though reform propoments are claiming the results are skewed by faulty questioning (more on that tomorrow).
* Fred Barnes eulogizes Bob Novak, while National Review has video of the main network obits.
* And Sarah Palin continues to enjoy amazingly strong support among Republicans.
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I have 2 or 3 witty things I could say about Robert Novak’s death and they are all mean as hell. So, I’ll just say this: death does not make someone magically into a different, better person.
I hope his family finds comfort.
Thanks for your restraint, Tena.
The MSNBC poll numbers are within the margin of error from the last time they asked about the public option. It’s a relatively small sample, too. I’m interested to see how the question was framed.
Greg – don’t want to get you or myself in trouble.
With all the demagoguing of health care reform it is amazing that there is as much support as there is. What is interesting about the NBC poll is that 70 people WANT reform but they have heard so many bad things about the health care bill that they believe it ie that it is going to pay for abortions, it is going to pay for illegal immigrants, it has death panels, etc.
GOP’s approval on health care is HORRIBLE. 21% approval with 62% disapproval.
Michelle
The GOP’s approval on health care is worse in other polls but it never really gets reported on.
“Reform Supporters Begin To Outnumber Critics At Town Halls”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/18/reform-supporters-outnumb_n_262425.html
Will there or won’t there be a public option when the bill is actually written, I don’t know? But here’s what I’m observing:
Before all the public option hoopla, GOP protesters were more organized, and more visible than liberal supporters. It seemed to me that only a few steady advocates were still 100% engaged in the healthcare “battle” particularly in the lib blogosphere. There was a number of issues that lib weren’t happy with, so no one was getting “fired up”. Enter a “slip of the tongue” about the public option, and now liberals are fighting mad. There are back to being engaged. They are pissed at Obama, but they are finally engaged in this debate in visible ways. Now you are seeing more reporting about how the liberal base has “come alive” over the public option. It kinda seemed to me that some of us libs were becoming complacent, we “know” that our way is a good one, and we “know” that our way is popular, but we forgot that when a small wild animal is backed in a corner, they fight back like a large predator…that’s what these protesters are.
Now that it seems that a the plan that libs liked may be in jeopardy, now we are energized. I’ve become something of a blog-fanatic, so I frequent alot of liberal blogs, and in all this, I don’t think I’ve seen as much visible passion about healthcare as there is now. It seems we libs have woken up, and finally decided to fight back against the GOP.
Now if we could only set our sites on the ConservaDems in the House and the Senate, ya know the people who are actually the ones who will be writing the law, and not fighting amongst ourselves, then we’d be straight.
If anybody missed Congressman Anthony Weiner on Hardball you definitely want to check it out. He might be one of the best advocates for single payer or a public option going right now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBhINJgYVRU
@sg
Rep. Weiner has flat out been on a tear lately. It’s great to see someone advocating for single payer – and doing such a great job of it. Have you noticed the subtle undercurrent of “just do medicare for all” vibe that’s been building for about a week now?
We need Reps like him out there more. He’s a great example for other progressives – get on TV (just not FOX) and sway public opinion!
I said it the other day and I’ll say it again: I think maybe the rope-a-dope has been deployed. The Republicans have put it all out there, including over-the-top Bellowing in frustration? These are the people who hated Obama and all he stands for last fall. It’s their last gasp. Packing heat? Unplugging grandma? If Godwin’s Law is when the Nazis are invoked, can we call it Palin’s Law when the bigger-government-will-kill-you card is played?
Now, at precisely the right moment, Obama and Sebelius throw a little stone in the pond that starts a tidal wave. We’re off our heels and ready to rumble. What do the Republicans and the health industrial complex have left? They’ve already unleashed all their boogie men.
There is an almost military-strategy quality to it. The conservative all came rushing through the pass into the valley, and oops, whoops, they’re surrounded.
Don’t shoot till you see the whites of their bulging, terrified eyes.
Slowly I turn. And it feels good.
@SG and BBQ — Anthony Weiner had a career day.
Well I think it was an unintended consequence but like people have said about he Rethugs its always easier to rally people against something. So now you see the netroots going apesh*t over dropping the public option and you just might see a more visible presence at townhalls from us and our members of Congress will probably hear from a lot more of us than they had been before.
Again I don’t think they planned it that way necessarily, I really think Sebelius just used the wrong word “essential” and of course pundits over looked the fact that she said “THE essential element” rather than what they seemed to report her saying “A essential element” But they will still end up benefiting from her misstep.
@SG — you’re right. I mean, they couldn’t orchestrate this down to the moment ad the word choice. But Obama does seem to have a knack for letting the other side shoot all their bullets and then calmly reassure and take the reins.
And we have some pent up energy to expell. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Kathleen Hussein – “There is an almost military-strategy quality to it. The conservative all came rushing through the pass into the valley, and oops, whoops, they’re surrounded.
Don’t shoot till you see the whites of their bulging, terrified eyes.
Slowly I turn. And it feels good.”
Yeah me too.
novak .. another corrupt beltway insider who borught infamy to journalism.. good riddance.
sg – thanks for that Rep. Weiner.
tweety was being his usual a$$holish, ignorant tool.
Tweety is a puzzle. Sometimes he shines; sometimes he reeks.